A few years ago I had a clogged salivary duct under my tongue. I went to the dentist and he told me that before we do any surgery, to try sucking on Lemon drops to make myself salivate more. So I did, and it worked. This happened once more and I went to an oral surgeon and had an x-ray of the salivary gland in my neck and it showed that nothing was there and it was just in the duct in my mouth. Once again, it went away on its own.

I have never had another problem like that. However, since then I have been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome (about a year ago). This is an auto-immune disorder that attacks the body's moisture producing glands such as the tear glands and the salivary glands. For me, the major problem has been dry eyes. But all of a sudden, over the past few weeks I have begun to develop these very small, hard, clear bubbles on the inside of my lower lip. They are annoying, but don't really hurt. I have had 2 or 3 of them in the past few weeks. I am able to squeeze them and they pop and some sort of clear fluid comes out and then they go away. When I feel them with my tongue, they just feel like little bumps. But when I look in the mirror I can see a clear "head" on them like a pimple. I haven't burnt my lip on anything, so I am positive that they are not blisters. And it's not the same as when I had the clogged salivary ducts under my tongue, because those got very swollen (they were HUGE!) and very very painful.

What the heck are these things???? Are they cysts? Pimples?? Occasionally my mouth gets dry (I'm wondering if the Sjogren's is starting to affect my salivary glands as well). Could they be tiny clogged salivary ducts? I am starting to get concerned, so I would really appreciate it if somebody could possibly shed some light on this for me. I am due to have my teeth cleaned and have a dentist appointment this coming wednesday, so I will be sure to bring this up (maybe I'll even have one when I am there so my dentist can see it!). Thanks in advance for any help,

Thanks for the suggestion... I'm going to look that up right now. I am hoping that I have one of these weird thingys in my mouth when I go to the dentist on wednesday so he can actually see it! I'll let you know what I find out!

Here is an exerpt of something I read that may be helpful to some of you...

Another type of mucocele occurs when the duct that carries saliva to the mouth is blocked. This also is called a mucous retention phenomenon. The duct carrying the saliva becomes blocked and saliva backs up and causes a swelling. These are often confused with epithelial lined cysts. A variation of a mucocele known as a ranula occurs when the submandibular duct is involved, causing a large swelling on the floor of the mouth.

Apparently these are quite commmon. I get them too and I had no idea why. The ones that appear on the inside of the lower lip are caused by some sort of injury i.e. biting the lip, etc...
Good to know!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by purple2067:
Re: ...weeks I have begun to develop these very small, hard, clear bubbles on the inside of my lower lip. They are annoying, but don't really hurt. I have had 2 or 3 of them in the past few weeks. I am able to squeeze them and they pop and some sort of clear fluid comes out and then they go away. When I feel them with my tongue, they just...".

Search; vesicles, buccal mucosa vesicular eruption

Ps: I would not rupture them intentionally. In the future if you encounter another eruption, call the dentist/pcp and request a swab culture.

I also have been getting these clear bubbles, but they're in the back of my mouth, between my top and bottom molars. My dentist has seen them before rupture, and said because I had my wisdom teeth removed, they're still healing, but it's been 6 months! Anyone else have them go on and off for that long? I'm starting to worry

They could be tiny salivary glands on your tongue. I have Sjogren's and have been trying to find people who wear dentures or partials with this disease. My submandibular gland was removed 2 years ago, which made my mouth even more dry. I do get sores on the tongue, but not like yours. I went to many doctors about my dry eyes/dry throat and was always put off. I found a Sjogren's support group and found a doctor (rheumatologist) who did a lip biopsy (the only sure way of knowing if you have it - blood tests are often negative). Even the doctor who removed the gland did not tell me I had Sjogren's. Since then my teeth have been deteriorating at a rapid rate. I had caps on all teeth and decay was rampant underneath. You get mouth sores, sore throat, hoarsness. It is important not to suck on lemon drops with sugar or any hard candies or gum with sugar. You must take extra special care of your teeth and mouth. Biotene products are a life saver as well as the saliva substitutes. A rheumatologist should be in your life with Sjogren's as they are the most familiar with the disease. A OTC fluoride rinse is available at Walmart. You need to also see an opthamologist and dentist frequently. Do you wear dentures or a partial and if so, are you able to tolerate it? I hope you find out what the blisters are and I will be watching your thread.
Sae

I get these as well. Unfortunately the dentists are not familiar. I had injured my hard palate with a tortilla chip and it produced one of these liquid filled bubbles. Mine came back daily. I had it removed surgically and now another one was produced in the back of my mouth where the soft palate meets the hard palate. It feels like I have something stuck in my throat and it appears (swells) mostly when I'm eating. It comes back weekly. I saw and ENT and Dermatologist - both said it is caused by mucus getting plugged in the minor salivary gland. The gland swells and then randomly bursts releasing the mucus/saliva. Everytime I want to show the dentist, it isn't there only because it has burst. I've had this now for about 2 years. If I have that area of my palate removed, then what - I'll get another one somewhere else??? I'm interested to know how many people get these randomly. Strange, huh

I have this same problem. I get these pimple/bubble/blister things on the roof of my mouth, where the soft palette meets the hard. I had one about 6 months ago that went away within a few weeks. Now I have another, and this one is really stubborn. It flares up when I eat, especially if it is spicey food.

Did your dentist/surgeon suggest anything to take for these? Do they look almost like pimples, kind of red with hints of white?

Interestingly enough, I noticed mine not long after a big mexican meal of tortilla chips, hot salsa, etc.